Gate-operating mechanism



F. KAHLER.

GATE OPERATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MW. 30. 1920.

1,424,913, Pat entedAug. s, 1922,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F. KAHLER.

GATE OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION man NOV. 30,1920.

. combination of parts to (arena was.

FRANK KAHLER', OF DILLON, MONTANA.

GATE-OPERATING MECHANISM.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aulg.8,1l92z.

Application filed November 30, 1920. Serial No. 427,4:08.

To all whom z'tma-y concern. I

Be it known that I, FRANK KAHLER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Dillon, in the county of Beaverhead and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gate constructions and more particularly to novel means for operating the gateat a point remote from the supporting posts thereof, thus elimihating the necessity of a person alighting from a vehicle to accomplish the opening and closing of the gate.

The primary obj ect of the invention is to provide a mechanical means constructed to raise thegate to a predetermined position from where the gate automatically moves to .its open or closed position under its weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide means to permit the gate to drop to a cam way when in its open position to ac-v complish the automatic closing of the gate.

-A still further object of the invention is to provide means for cushioning the downward movement of the gate, thus relieving the gate of the strain usually directed thereto when the same is moving to its closed osition.

TVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein like characters denote correspondin parts in the several views in whichigure 1 is a perspective view of the gate showing the location of the gate with relation to a roadway;

Fi ure 2 illustrates alongitudinal sec-- tiona l view through the post socket constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 3 illustrates a plan view of the socket, the supporting gate post being shown in section;

Figure 4 illustrates a transverse sectional view through the socket, the same beingi taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a fragmental view of the supporting post of the gate;

Figure 7 is a fragmental view disclosing the upper end of the socket member;

Figure 8 illustrates a longitudinal sectlonal view through the socket member, the supporting post of the-gate being shown as positioned therein;

Figure 9 illustrates a sectional view taken on the line 99 of Figure 8;

Fig. 10 illustrates a perspective view of one of the releasing rods; and Fig. 11 illustrates a perspective view of one of the sliding bars.

My invention embodies certain improvements in operating mechanism for gates of that type which are opened and closed from a distance by manually operated means which function to lift the gate when it is closed, such lifting positioning a supporting stud on the stile of the gate upon an inclined surface whereby the gate will gravitate to an open position in which it is held until other manually operated means are actuated which allows the stud to contact with another inclined surface to close the gate .and to hold it in such position. Instead of the manually operated means re ferred to, such means may be mechanically operated, especially if it is desired to apply the gate to a railway crossing, or to some other place requiring an automatic gate.

In these drawings 5 designates the socket member of the gate operating means which is embedded in the grounds surface, the upper edge thereof lying in a plane in spaced relation with the grounds surface in which the socket member is positioned.

, This socket member is provided with a central bore 6 extending from the upper end thereof to a point in spaced relation with the bottom thereof to provide a seat for the lower end of the coiled spring 7, the upper end of which has engagement with the lowerend of the gate stile or supporting post 8, which is of a diameter slightly less than the size of the bore 6 in which the same is supported, so that the stile may be free to turn within the bore.

The upper extremity of the bore 6 is cut away as at 9 to provide a clearance for the pin 10 carried by the supporting post 8 and, in this cut away portion 9 are positioned" the reference character 7 position. The opposite-ends of the ribs 11 which are lnclined in opposite directions,

and the under surfaces thereof being simiy 1 formed in the socket memberand in which recessed portion is normally positioned the pin 10 for supporting the gate 4 in closed and 12 are disposed in spaced relation with the shoulders 16, also formed in the socket I member, which shoulders 16 form abutments for the pin '10 to restrict movement of the post 8 in its movement to an openor closed position.

Openings 17 extend-through the socket member and as shown these openings include enlarged portions 18 adapted to house the coiled springs 19 which, in turn, embrace portions of the releasing rods 37 positioned in the openings 17, the inner ends of the rods 37' extending into suitable openings provided in the ribs 11 and 12 for closing the space between the ends of the ribs 11 and 12 and the shoulders 16, for purposes to be hereinafter more fully described.

Associated with the socket member 5 is a. stationary post 21 which has its lower end anchored 'in the socket member, the upper end thereof terminating at a point an appreciable distance from the upper end of the socket member 5 for supporting the gate proper to insure the efficient operation thereof. A cross arm 22 has connection with the upper end of this post 21, and as shown the arm 22 supports the pulleys 23 and 24 over which operates the flexible connectin member 25 that has one of its ends secured to the supporting post 8, the opposite end thereof having connection with the counterbalancing weight 26. A collar 27 has connection with the post 21 at a point substantially intermediate the length thereof, and encircles the supporting post 8. y

Extending inwardly from the collar 27 are the pins 28, which pins are disposed on opposite sides of the collar and cooperate with the camming blocks-29 secured to o-pposite sides of the supporting post 8 for causing the gate proper to moveaway from the post 21 when the same is lifted to accomplish the operation of closing or opening the same. The gate proper is of the usual construction, the outer end of which contacts with the post 30 to restrict movement thereof, the post 30 being provided with any conventional form of keeper to securethe gate in its closed osition;

As shown in Figs. 1 and 8, ropes, cables or other flexible'operating members 31 and 32 are connected to the top of the gate supporting post 8 at 33', and thence pass upwardly to guide pulleys 33 and 34 on the cross arm guide pulleys 37 -over which the operating members 31 and 32 pass and then extend downwardly to within easy reach of the op-- erator'. To the members .31 and 32 are also connected branches 31" and 32v which extend downwardly and are connected to the sliding bars 35.

The sliding bars 35 are provided for retracting the rods 37' which block the passage of the stud or pin 10 to the lower incline. The bars 35 are slidably mounted in openings in the base 5. Each bar 35 has a camming surface 36 which operates in a slot 37 in an intermediate enlarged portion of the rod 37.- Around the rear end 35 of each rod 37 is coiled a spring l9for holding the rod normally advanced in blocking position. Each bar 35 has a laterally projecting pin 38 which extends into a recess 39 in the base 5, to limit the movement of said bar.

In the operation of the device, assuming thatthe gate is in its closed position or in a position as indicated by Fig. 1 of the drawing, one of the flexible members is operated, with the result that the gate is lifted. When the gate reaches a predetermined height, the same is swung laterally on its pivot, which v movementis caused by the pin 10 of the gate moving over the inclined upper surface of either of the members 11 or 12. In this position, the gate is resting on one of the pins 37 and is in an open position.

To close the gate, the opposite flexible member is operated to operate the bar 35' to retract the pin 37' permitting the pin 10 to drop down between one of the ribs and the shoulder 16 formed in the socket member whereupon the gate gravitates over the inclinedsurface formed at the bottom of the cut away portion in the upper end of the socket member 5, the pin dropping into the recessed portion 15. \Vhile I have described the operating means on one side of the gate,

I ground surface in which the soclqet member 1s positioned to permit the water or dampness which might collect outwardly therefrom.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings it will be noted, that the supporting base for the gate in the bore to pass post or stile has two inclined ways, a vertical way centrally located, the upper inclined 1 diate their ends, the upper way being down- Iways being somewhat less in length than the minals being vertical to provide abutments for the bolts, which bolts normally engage the ends of the ways. To relieve the gate against vertical shock, a spring is provided which spring exerts an upward pressure against the lower circular end of the gate stile, and cooperating with this spring there is attached to the upper end of the gate stilea flexible connection that is guided over rollers, the connection being kept under tension by a counter weight which is movable in a hollow post which is maintained bythe base. The post carries at its upper. end a support for guide rollers and at a suitable distance below the upper end ofthe gate stile has a band or loop that extends about the ate stile and said band has inwardly proecting studs which are positioned to extend toward opposite sides of the stile for engagement with inclined faces of projections attached to opposite sides of the stile,

so that when the stile is lifted the inclined faces or camming surfaces will operate to turn the stile and carry its roller stud to one side of the upper vertical way so the gate will be caused to open to the right or left.

The flexible ate operating connections are guided by ro lers on the support 22, and are made fast to eyes through the upper ends of vertical bars 35 and when one of the flexible connections is drawn upon the bar will be raised to retract one of the sliding bolts which permits the roller stud to pass from the upper inclined way to a lower corresponding way, and'to limit the upward movement of the gate stile, short flexible connections extend from the band or loop to the eyes of the vertical movable bars which move the bolts to a retracted position against the action of their springs. The upward movement of the bars 35- is restricted by laterally projecting'studs which also serve to maintain the inclined projecting faces Within the slots formed through the bolts.

I claim 1. In a gate. operating mechanism, a base consisting of a member having a vertical bore the side wall of which has upper and lower inclined ways and passages connecting the same at their ends and intermewardly inclined from the intermediate passage and the lower way being downwardly inclined from the end passages, a gate supporting member seating in the aforesaid for blocking the end passages, means bore and movable vertically therein, said member having a stud for engagement with the inclined ways, andnormally positioned in line with the intermediate'passage,means for blocking the end passages, means for moving the supporting member upwardly to locate its stud in position to engage the upper way, and means for retracting the blocking means to permit travel of the stud to the lower way.

'2. In a gate operating mechanism, a base consisting (if a member having a vertical bore the side wall of which has upper and lower inclined ways and passages connecting the ways at their ends and intermediate their ends, the upper way being downwardly inclined from the intermediate pas sage and the lower way being downwardly inclined from the end passages, a gate supporting member seating in the aforesaid bore and movable vertically therein, said member having a stud for engagement with the inclined ways, and normally positioned in line with the intermediate passage,

means for blocking the end passages, means for moving the supporting member upwardly to locate its stud in position to enga'ge the upper way, means for retracting the blocking means, and actuators for the two last-mentioned means located at points remote from the gate supporting member.

3. In a gate operating mechanism, a base consisting of a member having a vertical bore the side wall of which has upper and lower inclined ways and passages connecting the ways at their ends and intermediate their ends, the upper way being downwardly inclined from the intermediate passage and the lower way being downwardly inclined from the end passages, a gate sup porting member seating in the aforesaid bore and movable vertically therein, said member having a stud for engagement with the inclined ways and normally positioned in line with the intermediate passage, means for moving the supporting member upwardly to locate its stud in position to engage the upper way, means forimparting a primary turning movement to the supporting member on the upward movement thereofto position its stud on the upper way, and means for retracting the blocking means.

4. In a gate operating mechanism, a base consisting of a member having a vertical bore the side wall of which has upper and lower inclined ways and passages connecting the ways at their ends and intermediate their ends, the upper way being downwardly inclined from the intermediate passage and the lower way being downwardly inclined from the end passages, a gate supbore and movable vertically therein, saidv member having a stud for engagement with i the inclined ways and normally positioned in line with the intermediate passage,-means for blocking the end passages, means for moving the supporting member upwardly to locate its stud in position to engage the upper way, inclines'on the supporting mem-.'

ber, stationary abutments engageable by the inclines when the supporting member is moved upwardly for imparting a turning movement to the supporting member to lo-,

' consisting of a member having a vertical bore the side wall of whichhas upper and lower inclined ways and passages connecting the same at their ends and intermediate their ends, the upper way 1 being downwardly inclined from the intermediate passage and the lower way being downwardly inclined from the end passages, said wall also having a recess intermediate the ends of the lower way and in alinement with the intermediate passage, a' gate supporting member seating in the aforesaid bore and movable vertically therein, said member having-a stud for engagement with the inclined ways, and, norma ly positioned in the aforesaid recess, means .for blocking the end post operating in the-bore, means carried by the socket member and cooperating with the gate post for moving the gate post to predetermined positions, a gate carried by the gate post, a stationary post associated with the socket member and carrying a collar, pins extending inwardlyifrom the col-v lar, camming' blocks carried by the gate post, said camming blocks adapted to; engage the gins for causing the'gate to move 1n a pm for rotating the gate.

- .FR'ANK KAHLER,

etermined' direction, and means 

